POSTED SEPTEMBER 22, 2016
(Portland, OR) –
Held in conjunction with Sunday Parkways
The Crystal Springs Partnership, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) and the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) present the 3rd Annual Salmon Celebration at Westmoreland Park. This free, public celebration will highlight the significant restoration work at Crystal Springs Creek which has brought wild salmon back to the heart of the city.
WHAT: 3rd Annual Salmon Celebration
WHERE: Portland Parks & Recreation’s Westmoreland Park, SE McLoughlin and Bybee
WHEN: Sunday, October 2, 2016, 11am-4pm (coincides with the final Sunday Parkways of the year)
PHOTO: Two boys play alongside a giant salmon sculpture, during the 2014 Salmon Festival. Photo from Portland Parks & Recreation.
The Salmon Celebration at Westmoreland Park will include a Native American blessing, a salmon bake demonstration, games, crafts, and inter-tribal activities. The event will be free and open to all. Please see this link for more info.
The Salmon Celebration coincides with the final 2016 Portland Sunday Parkways presented by Kaiser Permanente. The route includes Westmoreland Park as well a ride into the City of Milwaukie.
“This is a special annual celebration because we come together to appreciate the return of salmon in Crystal Springs Creek,” says Portland Parks Commissioner Amanda Fritz. The wild fish show us the lasting, positive results of the collaborative creek restoration efforts, and the festival allows us to unite as a community to appreciate both nature and each other.”
The event is presented by the Crystal Spring Partnership, a group of community members, organizations, and city representatives who work in partnership with the Johnson Creek Watershed Council to make the Crystal Springs Watershed a vibrant, healthy place for people and wildlife. Portland Parks & Recreation and the Bureau of Environmental Services are proud partners.
“What started as a culvert replacement project on Crystal Springs Creek evolved into a full-scale urban watershed restoration project,” says Portland Environmental Services Commissioner Nick Fish. “We’re reconnecting habitat for endangered fish and creating healthier waterways for all of us to enjoy.”
The Crystal Springs Partnership is using local knowledge and agency expertise to develop a national model for stewardship of urban watersheds. In particular, they are working toward ensuring that Crystal Springs Creek has healthy urban salmon runs, through community collaboration focused on education, advocacy, and restoration.
"The Crystal Springs Partnership is very pleased to join the City of Portland, local non-profits, businesses, and Tribal groups for the third annual Salmon Festival at Westmoreland Park" said Mary Ann Schmidt, co-chair of the Crystal Springs Partnership. "This is a unique opportunity to share the restored Crystal Springs Creek, and the return of salmon to this very urban creek in southeast Portland. Through this event, we continue our outreach to the community as well as provide fun, educational activities for all."
The Salmon Celebration will:
• Celebrate the restoration of Crystal Springs Creek and the return of wild salmon to the city!
• Educate neighbors about human beings’ connection to natural systems and our dependence on a healthy environment
• Share the history, culture and experiences of Native Americans, the first inhabitants of our lands
• Cultivate an environment of intercultural learning
• Help increase stewardship of Crystal Springs Creek through participation in the Crystal Springs Partnership
“When we restore natural habitat, people benefit greatly as well,” says Portland Parks & Recreation Director Mike Abbaté. “Healthy natural environments help people have a better appreciation of nature. It is delightful to come together again to celebrate salmon in the city and to share the joy with our neighbors.”
Salmon Celebration Activities and Events:
• Salmon bake demonstration (with samples!)
• Storytelling for all ages
• Fun and interactive inter-cultural activities
• Learn about the watershed and how to get involved
About Sunday Parkways
City of Portland Sunday Parkways presented by Kaiser Permanente is a series of five free community events opening Portland’s largest public space – its streets – for people to walk, bike, and roll and discover active transportation. The Sellwood-Milwaukie Sunday Parkways route will cross the new Sellwood Bridge and connect four activity areas through this two city route: Sellwood, Westmoreland, Water Tower Parks and downtown City of Milwaukie.
For maps and more information, visit PortlandSundayParkways.org or call 503-823-7599. Follow us on Facebook at PortlandSundayParkways and on Twitter @SundayParkways.
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